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ObamaCare Repeal: GOP Should Be Careful What It Wishes For

The individual mandate is unpopular, but repealing it could open the door to future reform based on payroll taxes.

By

Robert B. Reich

Updated Jan. 7, 2011 12:01 a.m. ET

Republicans in the House, now in the majority, say they'll vote to repeal the health-care law on Jan. 12. It will largely be a symbolic vote: Even in the unlikely event that 60 senators agree, Republicans don't have the votes to override President Obama's certain veto.

A more likely scenario in the weeks and months to come will be the Republicans' attempt to strip the Department of Health and Human Services of the money necessary to implement the law's requirement that all Americans buy health insurance. This could easily...